Ivory Coast worldwide Sebastien Haller expressed his reduction after lastly donning a Borussia Dortmund shirt for the primary time in six months, having endured two surgical procedures and 4 rounds of chemotherapy for testicular most cancers throughout that interval.
Haller, who scored 34 objectives for Dutch champions Ajax Amsterdam final season, was identified throughout a pre-season coaching camp in July – weeks after he had been signed for an preliminary charge of 31 million euros ($33.25 million).
The 28-year-old returned to coaching earlier this month and eventually made his unofficial debut as he got here on within the second half of Tuesday’s pleasant with Fortuna Dusseldorf, which Dortmund gained 5-1.
“It was a great moment on the pitch. I got a lot of applause and a lot of messages, I spoke to my teammates and the opponent. This support contributes to performance,” Haller mentioned.
“I wanted to be there from the first game. We talked about what is the best solution to get some minutes. After six months, I finally wore a Dortmund jersey for the first time.
“I used to be actually trying ahead to enjoying as a result of I could not do it immediately after my transfer. Playing is a significantly better feeling than exercising and operating by way of the woods, I missed that feeling.”
Dortmund coach Edin Terzic said the team was proud of Haller’s comeback.
“It was a really particular second for Seb and his household, but additionally for us. It was the primary time that he wasn’t carrying a coaching shirt however the Borussia Dortmund jersey,” Terzic mentioned.
The Bundesliga season resumes later this month, with Dortmund taking over Augsburg on Jan. 22.
Dortmund are sixth within the standings – 9 factors behind leaders Bayern Munich – and teammate Gio Reyna mentioned he hoped Haller’s comeback can spur them on.
“We are happy that he’s back. He’s such a good guy, he works hard,” the American winger mentioned.
“You can see his quality immediately on the pitch. He gives our game something new.”
